Naruto Naruto My Version
by SMF - Resonating Love
Summary: This a Naruto story done my way! NaruIno. NaruSaku? Rated T for violence and blood. Sorry about chapter 2. Gin should be changed to Rin I was reading Harry P. Chapter 8 is up! Rating and pairing may change.
1. Chapter 1: Beginning

_Blah_ – Thoughts, Flashbacks

**Blah** – Kyuubi talking, evil writing

Blah – Normal talking

* * *

Chapter 1 – Beginning

12 years ago, the nine-tailed fox, or Kyuubi, attacked the village hidden in the leaves, or, as many people know it as, Konohagakure (Konoha for short). The 4th Hokage, A.K.A the Yondaime, sealed Kyuubi inside a newborn child. The Yondaime wanted the child to be seen as a hero and be given great respect. But he was only seen as a demon and monster. The child's name…was Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

12-year-old Naruto was walking to his apartment. He accidentally bumped into a man.

"Watch where you're going, _DEMON_!" The man shouted and hissed out the word demon.

Naruto lowered his head a little. He was always being called a demon or monster. He never understood why. The only people who were kind to him was the Hokage and the owner of Ichiraku.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" The man shouted.

He kicked Naruto in the Shin and punched him in the stomach. Naruto grunted and kept his head down as he ran as fast as he could to his apartment. He knew he wasn't safe there, but he's been there since the beginning.

Naruto had finally reached his apartment, but was shocked to see it was broken into. The door had been torn down and the windows were shattered. Naruto quickly ran inside and gasped at what he saw.

**Get out now, demon! Leave so we can finally live in peace, you monster! You should just **_**die**_

It was written in blood.

'_No one cares!? If I die…will anyone miss me? I seriously doubt that…maybe…maybe I should just die…no…I still want to be Hokage…maybe later.'_

Naruto snapped out of his thought and sighed. Then he remembered…

**Flashback**

_A crowd of people was kicking around Naruto. Blood was pouring out of his body. And everything went dark…_

_Naruto woke up in a hospital bed. He blinked a couple of times and turned his head._

"_Naruto…" Came a voice that sounded oddly familiar._

_Naruto turned his head towards the voice. The Saindaime sat next to him, looking very concerned._

"_Naruto…please promise me that…if something like that was to happen again…you'll come get me and tell me." The Third Hokage said sternly._

"_Were you the one that saved me?" Naruto asked._

_Sarutobi nodded his head._

"_I promise…old man."_

**End Flashback**

"Old man…" Naruto muttered under his breath before walking out the destroyed door.

* * *

Yamanaka Ino was having a great day. She hung out with Sakura and helped her mother with the flower shop.

Knock, Knock, Knock

"I'll get it!" Ino called to her mom.

Ino went to the door and turned the doorknob. She opened the door to reveal…

"Naruto?" Ino asked. Then she noticed the figure next to him and bowed quickly.

"Hokage-sama!"

"Ino…" Sarutobi started to say.

"Ino? Who's at the door?" Mrs. Yamanaka asked as she came into view.

"Oh! Hokage-sama!" Ino's mom exclaimed and bowed.

"Mrs. Yamanaka, is Mr. Yamanaka home?" Saindaime asked.

"No, he's on a mission. He'll be back next week." Answered Mrs. Yamanaka.

"Oh, well…when he comes home, tell him to come to my office immediately."

"O.K."

"But…that's not the reason I'm here." Sarutobi said.

"Yeah. Why is Naruto here?" Ino asked in curiosity.

"Oh! Naruto! Please! Do come in!" Mrs. Yamanaka said with a smile on her face.

Naruto gave the Hokage a look, who returned it with a nod. Naruto smiled brightly and stepped into the house. He immediately took off his sandals and sat down on the couch.

"You see, Mrs. Yamanaka. You are one of the only people who believe Naruto is not a…_demon_" Sarutobi said in a hushed tone.

Ino gave Naruto a questioning look. He returned it with a sad look and turned away.

"Now because of a recent 'accident' Naruto doesn't have a place to stay." Sarutobi said.

"So…you want him to stay here?" Mrs. Yamanaka asked.

Sarutobi nodded his head.

"I would be glad to, but…" Mrs. Yamanaka trailed off.

"That's why when your husband comes home, you send him to me without him noticing Naruto. I'll send him on a month long mission. That'll give us just enough time to get Naruto a new apartment." Sarutobi stated.

Mrs. Yamanaka nodded. Naruto smiled a foxy grin.

"Thank you, Mrs. Yamanaka!"

"Oh! Please. Call me by my first name, Rin." Rin said with a smile.

Naruto's grin widened.

"Okay, Rin!"

"So Naruto is staying with us?" Ino questioned.

"Yeah."

"Umm…o.k." Ino said, uncertainly. She wasn't very comfortable living with someone she hardly knew.

'_I'd better talk to Sakura about this._'

* * *

**AN: Nothing much to say. I probably won't be able to update until later this week…or maybe not. Review Please!**


	2. Chapter 2: A New Life

I am soooo sorry this took so long! My computer died and I'm now using my mom's laptop. SORRY!

* * *

Blah – Normal Speaking

_Blah_ – Thoughts, Flashbacks

Blah – Kyuubi Speaking

* * *

Chapter 2 – A New Life

"You came at the perfect time, Naruto!" Gin said after they said bid farewell to Sarutobi. "We just finished cooking dinner!"

"Awesome! What are we having? I'm starving!" Naruto asked, his stomach growling.

"We're having fish with some herbs from the garden."

"You have a garden?" Naruto asked.

"Of course. We do own a _flower_ shop." Ino said, emphasizing at flower.

" Oh yeah! I forgot." Naruto said, dumbly.

"Okay everyone! Wash up and then come eat!" Gin ordered.

Ino showed Naruto the way to the bathroom and they both washed their hands.

"Wow. I like your house, Ino! Much bigger from my apartment." Naruto said in awe.

"You've never seen a house before?" Ino asked.

"Nope. Never." Naruto said, shrugging.

Ino and Naruto headed back downstairs to eat. Naruto sat at the end of the table and munched happily,

"Wow! You're a really great cook, Gin!" Naruto complimented.

"Oh! It wasn't just me, Naruto. Ino helped make dinner today. She loves to cook fish." Gin said while looking over at Ino, who was sitting across from her.

"Well, this is sure good! Probably the best fish I've ever tasted!"

Ino smiled at the compliment.

"Thanks, Naruto. I'm glad you like it!"

Naruto seemed to stare for a moment. His expression puzzled. But then his expression brightened into a grin.

"You're welcome, Ino!"

Gin smiled at her daughter and new housemate.

'_It looks like Naruto has finally found a friend.'_ Gin smile grew wider.

"Oh, Naruto. I've been wondering. Why do you have to live here? What happened to your home?" Ino questioned. Gin looked at Naruto, also wondering the same thing.

Naruto's gaze hardened and he sighed.

'_Should I tell them? Well, I guess since I'm going to live with them…I should tell them the truth.'_

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts and sighed again.

"Well…" Naruto glanced at Gin.

"My apartment…got…umm…raided by a couple of villagers. I am unable to live there for who knows how long."

"That's terrible! Why would anyone do such a thing!?" Ino asked in rage.

Gin also had a similar look on her face, but she knew why. Naruto looked at her.

"I…don't really know why. The old man won't tell me why. I've been trying to get it out of him for years." Naruto said with a distant expression.

Ino looked thoughtful for a minute.

"Old man? You mean the Hokage?"

Ino bonked Naruto on the head.

"How dare you give Hokage-sama such disrespect!" Ino shouted.

Naruto grinned sheepishly and nodded rapidly.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Gin laughed. "Ino. Don't hit Naruto. He has a special bond with Hokage-sama."

Ino looked at her mother. " A special bond?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Yeah! He…umm…saved me from an accident and we've been close ever since."

"Oh. Sorry, Naruto." Ino said, blushing in embarrassment.

"It's okay, Ino! I get that a lot." Naruto laughed.

Gin glanced at the clock.

"Okay, everyone! Time for bed!"

Ino nodded and ran up the stairs to her room. Naruto just stood there looking confused.

"Wait…where am I going to sleep?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Naruto! You'll be sleeping in the guest room. Come, I'll show you the way."

Gin lead the way upstairs. Naruto took note that his room would be right next to Ino's.

Naruto thanked Gin and said goodnight before he closed the door, got in his pajamas that he brought along, and slipped into bed.

* * *

AN: I promise I won't take very long to update again! Reviews Please! 


	3. Chapter 3: Kyuubi

**I told you it wouldn't take that long ot update!**

* * *

Blah – Normal speaking

_Blah_ – Thoughts, Flashbacks

**Blah** – Kyuubi speaking

* * *

Chapter 3 – Kyuubi 

Naruto woke up to a knocking on the door.

"Naruto! Wake up! It's time for breakfast!" Ino shouted from the other side of the door.

Naruto groaned and lifted the covers. He got to his feet and headed to the dresser. He grabbed a blood red t-shirt and tan shorts. He looked in the mirror and ruffled his hair to get it into its spiked attire. Then he headed out of his bedroom and went down the stairs.

"Morning!" Naruto greeted as he sat down at the table.

Naruto drooled slightly at the smell of the fresh eggs, bacon, and toast. Naruto grabbed his fork and rapidly ate his meal. Ino stared for a second before munching slowly on her piece of bacon. Rin just smiled and ate politely.

Naruto finished what seemed like a minute later and thanked Rin for the wonderful meal.

"Best breakfast I've ever had! I didn't think anything could be as good as Ramen!"

Ino seemed to choke on her bacon. "You're already finished!? I haven't even finished my bacon yet!"

"You have quiet an appetite, Naruto. I should take note of that." Rin said, calmly.

Naruto only grinned and cleared his plate. He went over to the sink and started to wash his dish by hand.

"Oh, Naruto. You shouldn't do that. I can do it when I'm done." Rin said, feeling like a terrible host.

"No worries, Rin! It's the least I can do. I mean…you're letting me live here for goodness sakes! Besides, it's only fair that I wash my own plate." Naruto said, generously.

"Wow, Naruto. That's really nice of you." Ino said in a shocked voice.

"Thank you." Naruto smiled at her. "But it's no big deal."

"So Naruto." Rin started to say as Naruto finished with his plate. "What are you going to do now?"

"Umm…I think I'm going to train a little. I haven't been training much lately and I need to get back into tip-top shape!" Naruto shouted, happily.

"I'll see you guys later!" Naruto called from the door and then he left.

"Mom?" Ino asked.

"Yes, dear?"

"I feel as though Naruto has been hiding something from us. He wasn't very detailed about his apartment being raided." Ino said, looking down. "Does he not trust us?"

"No, no! He's just had a very…hard life. He just needs to get to know us a little better, that's all." Rin stated.

"…Okay." Ino said, uncertainly.

"You'll see, dear. Maybe you should go find him. Train with him and maybe he will tell you more about his accident." Rin suggested as she noticed Ino had finished her breakfast.

"Yeah…yeah, I think I will." With that said, Ino picked up her dish and headed towards the sink.

"Oh, don't worry about that, dear. Go find Naruto. I will deal with your plate." Rin said, kindly.

Ino smiled and nodded. She headed out the door soon after.

* * *

Naruto was walking through the town, thinking of where he should train. 'Maybe in the forest? No…at the academy? No…oh! At one of the training grounds!' 

Naruto sprinted off towards the training grounds. He arrived with energy radiating off of him. He took out several kunai and threw them at the target.

'_Perfect!'_ Naruto thought as all of his kunai hit the target perfectly.

Naruto then ran up towards a log and started to punch and kick it rapidly. He was actually quite good, but he hid his abilities from everyone else. He wanted his enemy to underestimate him, so he would have the advantage.

'**Hey, Kit! Want to learn a new technique?'** Naruto fell back in surprise.

Naruto quickly stood up and got into a fighting position. He looked around franticly.

"Who are you? Show yourself!"

'**Sadly enough, I cannot. I'm stuck in here.'** The voice said.

"Who are you? And what do you mean, 'Stuck in here?'" Naruto questioned the strange voice.

'**I am the nine tailed fox and I am stuck inside your body.'** The voice said.

"That's impossible! The fourth Hokage killed you!" Naruto shouted at the voice.

'**No. I am Kyuubi. Yondaime sealed me inside a little boy…you.'** The voice boomed.

Naruto was shocked. Is this why everyone hates him? Because he had a demon sealed inside of him?

Naruto's voice shook. "H-How am I hearing you?"

'**Ah…now that is a question worth answering. The seal has allowed me to communicate with the jailer. You are also able to borrow my chakra.'** Kyuubi stated.

"Really? But…how come I'm just starting to hear you now?" Naruto asked.

'**Okay, first thing. Stop talking out loud. I can hear your thoughts. Second, I don't really know. I'm guessing you had to grow stronger in order to be able to control my power.'** Kyuubi said.

'_Oh, okay. You also said something about a new jutsu.'_ Naruto thought, excitedly.

'**Ah yes, the Shadow Clone Jutsu. It is a high ranked jutsu used by the Jonin and higher. It allows you to make solid clones. You have to have a lot of chakra though. Luckily, you have me.'** Kyuubi said with a loud laugh.

'Umm…okay…how do I do this technique?' 

'**First you gather up your chakra and then you make the cross seal.'** The Kyuubi said in a teacher voice.

'_Like this?'_ Naruto asked as he made a cross.

'**Perfect. Now do those steps'** Kyuubi commanded.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted.

There was a poof sound and a cloud of dust appeared. Once the cloud cleared, Naruto looked around. Next to him was a perfect, solid clone. The clone grinned.

"Yeah! I did it!" Naruto yelled as he leapt into the air in joy.

'**Now, Kit. When you send out your clones and you send them to fight. The clones are able to learn and when they are destroyed, the information will be sent to you.'** Kyuubi stated.

'Wow! This is the best! Thanks you stupid fox!' Naruto could hear the low growl from the Kyuubi, but Naruto just grinned and chuckled.

* * *

Ino was searching everywhere for Naruto.

"Where the hell is he!?" Ino shouted in frustration, catching a lot of people's attention.

Ino ignored all of the confused looks and ran off towards the training grounds. When she arrived, she heard a popping noise. She ran towards the sound and saw Naruto lying there in an exhausted heap.

"Naruto!" Ino shouted as she ran towards his body.

Naruto looked up and grinned.

"Hey, Ino-chan!" Ino blushed at the suffix, but quickly shook her head.

"Are you okay?" Ino asked in concern.

"Yeah. Never better! What are you doing here Ino-chan?" Naruto asked as he sat up and leaned against a tree.

"Oh! I came to train with you a little. Can I?" Ino asked hopefully.

"Sure!" Naruto agreed happily.

* * *

**AN: I'm done with this chapter! I'm hoping to be able to update sometime tomorrow or if I'm lucky, later today! Review Please!**


	4. Chapter 4: Getting to Know You

**You have to admit…it didn't take that long to update.**

* * *

Blah – Normal Speaking

_Blah – Thoughts, Flashbacks_

* * *

Chapter 4 – Getting to Know You

Ino grunted in pain as Naruto punched her in the stomach. Ino stumbled before getting back into a defensive position. Naruto smirked and he faked a punch to the right before he threw a punch to Ino's left side.

Ino's eyes widened and she barely dodged it. She jumped back to catch her breath.

"When did you get this good, Naruto?" Ino asked with amazement.

"I've always been this good. I just want people to underestimate me…that's why I'm the 'dead last.'" Naruto answered in a bored tone.

Ino blushed in embarrassment and said, "Oh, yeah. Sorry about calling you that, Naruto."

Naruto smiled, "It's okay, Ino. I don't really care what people call me…anymore."

Ino gave a questioning look, "What do you mean 'anymore?'"

Naruto frowned at his falter. "Umm…it's no big deal."

"No. If we're going to be living together, we have to get to know each other." Ino said firmly.

Naruto sighed and nodded. "I don't know how much I can tell you…I mean…I just figured all of this stuff out today. I want to keep anything from you…but I still need to…umm…adjust to this." Naruto paused to try and find the right words. "All I can tell you is…every since I was born…I've been shunned and ab-." Naruto immediately stopped what he was saying, as he had let out too much information. "Err…what I mean is…I haven't been treated fairly." Naruto finished with a loud sigh.

Ino looked at him with a worried expression. "T-They…hurt you?"

Naruto's breath hitched. She figured out what he was trying to hide. But he nodded.

Ino's face went from worry to rage. "How could they!? I mean…what did you ever do to them!?"

Naruto bit his lip. "I…I don't know. But…it's all right. It's nothing to get angry about. I mean…sure I was angry at the time. But I was able to cope." Naruto said with a forced smile.

Ino didn't seem convinced as she looked like she was about to ask another question.

"Naruto…there's something I've been meaning to ask you. What really happened to your apartment?" Naruto's face took a look of horror and he froze.

"Naruto?" Ino asked, worriedly.

Naruto snapped out of his frozen state and said, "It's nothing…really. Just an accident."

Ino snapped. "It's _nothing_!? Cause from what you have told me. You've been abused your whole life! I don't think it was an accident."

Naruto stared at her. "I…umm…" But he gave up and sighed. "Do you really want to know?"

Ino nodded with a stern look on her face.

"Okay then…follow me." Naruto stood up and offered her his hand.

Ino took it gratefully and was pulled up. Ino gave a quiet 'thank you.' Naruto just smiled and walked towards the path.

"Where are we going?" Ino asked, breaking the wave of silence.

"Well, you wanted to know about my apartment. It's only best for you to go see it yourself." Naruto said, grimly.

Ino nodded with determination in her eyes. She wanted to help her new friend.

Naruto stopped walking. Ino looked at Naruto strangely.

"What is it?"

"We're here."

Ino looked ahead of her and gasped when she saw the broken down door and shattered windows. Naruto walked towards the door and looked back at Ino.

"You coming?"

"Y-Yeah." Ino walked to Naruto and they both entered the room together.

Ino looked in horror at the writing that was written in blood.

Ino's voice was shaking but firm. "W-Who would d-do s-s-such a thing? Why d-do they c-call you a m-monster?"

Naruto looked down and said, "I…I…don't know…"

Ino's eyes were glued to the writing. And then a thought hit her. Her voice was worse than ever, but she managed to get it out. "D-d-did y-you e-ever con-consider going…" Ino had tears in her eyes but kept strong. "Did you e-ever consider going s-s-suicidal?"

Naruto looked deeply into Ino's eyes. He knew he could not lie.

"Yes."

Ino burst into tears. I-I can't blame y-you…b-but you've g-got to stay st-strong!" Ino's tears streamed down her cheeks. She sank to her knees.

Naruto bent down so he was eye level to her.

"But…that seemed like an eternity ago. Now…now I've got a friend with me to help me along…right?"

Ino smiled tearfully. "Yeah."

Naruto smiled back and pulled her into a hug. Ino buried her face in his chest and cried. While she cried Naruto had a talk with Kyuubi.

'_Do you think I should tell her the truth?'_

'**No…not yet. You need to get to know each other better before you can consider telling her about me.'**

Naruto nodded mentally and looked down at Ino, who was now breathing softly. She had fallen asleep. Naruto smiled gently before picking her up bridal style. He walked out the door, but not before looking back at the writing with a stony face. He turned back around to the road and started to walk towards his new home.

'_Home…it sounds…funny._' Naruto laughed mentally and kept walking towards his destination.

* * *

Ino woke up to find herself in her bed.

'_Naruto…'_ was the first thing that came to mind.

Ino got out of bed and tiptoed out her bedroom, hoping she wouldn't wake anyone. She entered Naruto's room, to see him lying face up with a bit of drool leaking from his mouth. He looked adorable with his hat on. Ino smiled softly before she left the room to go back to bed.

Ino got into bed with heavy eyes. She drifted off to sleep about a certain whiskered boy.

* * *

**AN: Finished with this chapter. I'm sorry! This is another short chapter! I can't help it! I'll start writing more often and I won't do it all at one time. That will make them longer. Review Please!**


	5. Chapter 5: Training & Explanations

**I'm soooo sorry!!! I didn't mean for this chapter to take so long! FORGIVE ME!!! T-T**

* * *

"Blah." – Normal Talking

_'Blah' – Thoughts_

_Blah - Writing_

**'Blah'** **– Kyuubi Talking**

"**Blah**" – Calling out Jutsu

* * *

Chapter 5 – Training & Explanations

Naruto woke up from hearing a very close voice. He leapt out of bed and got into a fighting position.

"Who's there!?" Naruto asked in a loud whisper, not wanting to wake up anyone.

'**Calm down, Kit. It's just me…or have you forgotten?'** Came the voice again.

At the voice again, Naruto fell to the floor.

'_Damn! Sorry. I forgot about yesterday.'_ Naruto said mentally while rubbing his head. He could feel Kyuubi rolling his eyes.

'So, what? Do you have memory shortage, or something?' 

'_Shut up you stupid fox.'_ Naruto growled mentally.

'**Stupid Fox? Ouch…now I'm hurt.'** Kyuubi chuckled.

Naruto gritted his teeth.

'Shut up!' Naruto warned. 

'**Make me.'**

Naruto was fuming. His teeth were just about cracked from clenching them so hard. He shut his eyes tightly and imagined Kyuubi getting punched by an overly large fist.

'**Hey! That's not very nice!'** Kyuubi huffed.

"Shut up!" Naruto yelled out loud.

"Naruto?" Came a soft voice.

Naruto turned his head towards the voice and saw Ino standing there in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes.

"Naruto? Who are you talking to?" A now fully awake Ino asked.

"What? Oh! Er…no one. I…I just had a bad headache. You know how it is right? You start to hearing things." Naruto answered, rubbing his head to be more convincing.

Ino nodded, understandingly.

"Well, anyway. Breakfast is ready and I want to go training again." Ino said, excitingly.

Naruto chuckled and nodded.

"I'll be right there." Ino nodded and headed back to her room to change.

Naruto stood up and turned towards his closet. While he looking through his clothes, he started to talk to Kyuubi.

'Hey fox! Do you think I should go to the old man today? You know…to get some more information about this seal.' Naruto unconsciously put a hand on his stomach. 

'Yes. Even though I have the details on the seal, I think it would be better to talk to the Hokage.'

Naruto agreed mentally and pulled out a black shirt with a red flame in the middle and dark green shorts. He stripped off his pajamas and put on his fresh clothes. He grinned into his reflection and, once again, ruffled his hair to get it into its spiked shape.

Naruto entered the dinning room and observed the area. Rin was in the kitchen washing the crumbs off her plate and Ino was chewing on her piece of toast. Ino was wearing a purple shirt and a blue skirt that had a yellow flower at end. Naruto smiled and walked towards the table.

"Morning!" Naruto greeted as he took a seat next to Ino.

Ino faced him and nodded her head in greeting, then went back to eating. Rin turned towards him with a paper towel in her hand.

"Good morning, Naruto." Rin smiled.

Naruto smiled back and started to eat his meal a little slower than last time. He happily ate his sausage, eggs, and toast and chugged his orange juice.

Naruto sighed happily and thanked Rin for breakfast.

"You're a wonderful cook, Rin. The seasoning was done perfectly!" Naruto complimented.

"Oh, really? Thank you! All of my herbs and spices come from my garden! I work very hard on it everyday!" Rin's eyes sparkled and the background around her seemed to glow brightly. She was in her own little world.

"She's always like this when someone compliments her garden." Ino said to Naruto in a hushed tone as Rin started to mumble inaudible things.

Naruto sweet dropped and quickly finished eating. He stood up, grabbed his plate, and shuffled past a still glowing Rin. Naruto quickly soaked, washed, and rinsed his plate. He turned back around to look at Rin, who was still glowing.

"How long does she usually stay like that?" Naruto asked Ino, still staring at Rin.

"Oh, about 5-10 minutes." Ino answered, shrugging.

"Well…I guess we should head out and train." Naruto said as Ino stood up and walked past her sparkling mother to wash her plate.

"Yeah. Just give me a second to wash my dish." Ino said as she scrubbed her plate with a sponge.

Naruto nodded, still staring at Rin. Then something occurred to him.

"Wait- how does she change her background?" Naruto questioned in confusion.

Ino turned her head to look at her blabbering mother and sighed.

"Don't ask." Naruto only nodded and started towards the door.

Ino dried off her hands and walked towards the counter. She grabbed a pen and piece of paper and scribbled down a note.

_Mom,_

_Going out to train. We'll be back soon._

_Love,_

_-Ino_

Satisfied with her note, Ino placed it down on the table and walked to the door. Naruto was waiting patiently with his sandals already on. Ino slipped on her sandals and followed Naruto out the door.

Naruto lead the way to the training grounds.

"So, Ino. What kind of training do you want to do today?"

"Um…I don't know…I remember Iruka-sensei talking to us about chakra control. Maybe we should work on that." Ino suggested, but then frowned. "But I don't know how to do that."

Naruto scrunched up his eyebrows and put his hand to his chin as if going into his thinking position.

'_He looks kind of cute like that. Wait a minute! I don't think that way about Naruto! I mean sure he's kind, sweet, strong, cute, handsome- wait! Stop it! I don't like Naruto!'_

Ino was snapped out of her thoughts by Naruto's voice.

"Oh, hey! I think I remember the old man saying something about a 'tree walk.' Hmm…Does he mean climbing a tree by walking on it, or something?" Naruto wondered out loud.

"Huh? Oh! Umm…maybe we have to climb the tree with chakra." Ino guessed.

"Yeah! That's it! Ino, you're a genius!" Naruto shouted, grinning.

Ino blushed and turned her head in the other direction. Naruto didn't seem to notice the blush. He grabbed Ino's hand and dragged Ino towards one of the trees. Ino's face turned scarlet at the contact and was disappointed when he let go.

"I'm going to try it!" Naruto shouted.

Strangely enough, Naruto knew what to do without the Kyuubi's help. Kyuubi raised his eyebrow and observed Naruto closely. Naruto performed the ram seal and started to gather chakra into his feet. A wave of chakra appeared at his feet for a split second and then disappeared. Naruto eyes flashed open and he charged the tree.

Ino was stunned when Naruto's foot stuck to the tree and even more when he got both feet on the trunk. He kept going, but lost his footing after 2 more steps. The bark of the tree smashed under his foot. Naruto pushed off the tree and land both feet on the ground.

Naruto turned to Ino, who was staring at the crushed bark on the tree.

"This is harder than I thought. You have to keep your chakra at an even level. If you add too much chakra, you crush the tree. And if you put too little chakra, you'll probably slip." Naruto explained to Ino.

'_He's smart, too. Since when has Naruto gotten this good? In the Academy, he's a dead last. But…right now…he's probably as good as Sasuke…maybe even better!'_

"Ino! It's your turn!" Naruto told her.

"Huh? What? Oh, yeah!" Ino mumbled.

Ino copied Naruto's tactic and performed the ram seal. She gathered her chakra into the bottom of her feet. She could feel the chakra flowing in her feet. Then she felt some kind of warmth go through her. Her eyes snapped open and she ran towards the tree. She was overjoyed to feel her feet stick to the tree, but immediately focused on her chakra. Ino could feel her chakra starting to slowly drain out of her.

Naruto watched in amazement at Ino as she passed the spot he had stopped. Naruto saw her lose her footing after going 4 more steps. Naruto started to panic as he saw Ino fall, head first, to the ground.

Naruto sprinted forward to catch her. He managed to catch her, but fell beneath the extra weight. Naruto sat there with Ino between his legs. Ino laid her head against his chest, trying to catch her breath, while Naruto used his arms to hold himself up. They were both very red in the face, but neither of them noticed.

"Err…Are you okay, Ino?" Naruto asked with concern filling his voice.

"Y-Yeah. Thanks for catching me."

"No problem!" Naruto grinned.

An awkward silence passed between them. Neither of them made a move to get up until Naruto decided to save them the embarrassment. He pushed Ino's back lightly making her lean forward and he slid his legs underneath him. Still supporting Ino, Naruto got to his feet.

Ino was very disappointed by the loss of warmth. But she was soon consumed with it because Naruto had lifted her up and had carried her towards another tree. The whiskered boy gently placed Ino against the tree. Naruto grinned a foxy smile.

"I'll let you catch your breath, while I dominate that tree." Naruto pointed at the foot marked tree, then he grinned again. "You can train more when you've finished."

Ino only nodded in response. Naruto turned to the tree and started to gather his chakra again. Ino watched Naruto with careful eyes as he pulled out a kunai and charged the tree. He managed to get just above her last spot when he slipped. He slashed the tree trunk and landed gracefully on his feet.

Naruto kept doing that method over and over, each time he got higher and higher. He finally collapsed from chakra exhaustion 58 feet from the bottom. Ino was amazed.

'_Wow! He's really fast!'_

Naruto quietly stood up and sat down next Ino. He smiled at her. He closed his eyes and leaned against the tree. His hair seemed to glow in the sunlight. Ino stared at Naruto with wandering eyes.

"Hey, Naruto?"

"Hmm?"

"How did you become this…this good? When we're at the academy, you don't show your true self."

Naruto nodded and sighed. "I've hidden my true potential to others. I want people to underestimate me…I would have an advantage." Naruto smiled and opened his eyes. "Besides, people can make fun of me all they want…they'll never know the real me."

Ino's eyes drooped sadly and bit her lip. "Listen…I'm sorry about treating you…different. I didn't know you. But…now that I do…I would love to get to know you…the real you." Naruto smiled brightly. But it wasn't his usual cocky smiles. It was more calm and compassionate.

"If you're asking for forgiveness, then you're forgiven. You've been forgiven for a while now."

Ino raised an eyebrow and asked with confusion in her voice. "For how long?"

Naruto looked at her with glowing eyes. "Since you became my friend. And before you ask…you became my friend when you found me in the forest the other day."

Ino smiled and felt her eyes start to get heavy. She looked at Naruto and saw his eyes drooping slowly. She gave up on staying wake and rested her head on Naruto's shoulder. With her last bit of consciousness, Ino felt Naruto lean his head onto hers. Then she drifted to sleep.

* * *

Rin found herself smirking at the unknowing couple. They were bound to realize their feelings for each other sometime. Rin had come to bring them back for lunch. But seeing the couple made her forget the meal entirely.

Rin's smirk turned into a gentle smile. She turned her back on the two blond academy students and walked towards her house.

'_Lets hope they realize their feelings sooner than later. Naruto needs all the support he can get. He needs someone to stand up for him. And Ino's the perfect person for the job.'_

Rin glanced at the couple once more before disappearing into town.

* * *

Naruto awoke from feeling a light pecking on his hand. He opened his slowly and looked around at his surroundings. He felt something leaning against his shoulder and turned to see Ino sleeping peacefully against him. He felt himself smile, but then he frowned when he saw what was pecking him.

A summoned bird was staring at Naruto with unblinking eyes. It carried a scroll with it. Naruto stroked the bird and took the scroll. He opened it and started to read.

_Naruto,_

_I'm sorry for ruining your little 'moment', but I must speak with you. I won't go into details because it is very likely that someone might take this scroll from you. But I will give you a hint of the subject we will be discussing. Seal. Come see me when you can, but try to get here soon._

_-The Third Hokage, Sarutobi_

_P.S.- You might want to bring Ino with you. I think you can trust her._

Naruto stared at the scroll and he drifted into his thoughts.

'_Should I bring Ino along? If I tell her my secret…will she hate me? I…I don't know if I can take that chance…'_

'I think you should tell her.'

'_Kyuubi? Hmm…I guess your right. Man…'_

Naruto broke out of his thoughts and started to wake up Ino.

"Hey, Ino. It's time to wake up. I know my shoulder is quite comfortable, but you need to wake up." Naruto couldn't help the grin that was making its way onto his face.

Ino moaned and opened her eyes. She blinked a couple of times, probably trying to figure out where she was. Then her stare turned soft.

"Why did you wake me up? I was quite comfortable." Ino asked.

Naruto chuckled and handed her the scroll. Ino looked at him in confusion, but took the scroll and unrolled it. Her eyes scanned the message and she looked up with a very questioning look.

"Seal? What's that supposed to mean?"

Naruto just smiled. "You'll find out when we get there."

Ino looked as if she wanted to question him more, but nodded anyway.

Naruto stood up and offered Ino a hand. She took it gratefully and was pulled up swiftly.

"Let's go."

The two blonds started their way to the Hokage tower. They entered the building and headed toward the Hokage's office. Naruto knocked on the door.

"Come in." A gruff voice called from inside the room.

Naruto pushed opened the door and smiled happily at the old man, who was looking very bored at his desk.

"Hey, old man! Long time no see!" The Hokage looked up from his paperwork and smiled at the loud blond.

"Hello, Naruto and to you too, Ino." Ino nodded and bowed.

"Now, now. No need to bow." Ino smiled brightly and nodded again.

"Come. Take a seat." The Hokage said.

They both sat down and looked at the Sarutobi. Ino was the first one to break the silence.

"Umm…what is this about?"

Sarutobi looked at Naruto and said, "I see you decided to bring Ino along."

Naruto nodded. "I trust her with the information. I…I just hope she will accept me." Naruto looked away.

Ino looked very confused. "What's going on?"

Sarutobi sighed and asked, "Naruto, do you want me to tell her your secret?"

Naruto only nodded and continued to stare out the window.

"What secret? What are you talking about?" Ino asked very curious.

"Ino…have you been told of the events concerning the nine-tailed fox?"

Ino nodded rapidly. "Yeah! The Kyuubi was killed by the fourth Hokage."

"Ahh. You see…that is where you're wrong."

Ino looked shocked. "You mean he's still alive!?"

"Well yes and no. The fourth Hokage didn't kill Kyuubi…instead; he sealed him inside a newborn baby. That baby is Naruto Uzumaki." Ino was shocked. "Naruto was supposed to be looked up to as a hero. But he's only seen as a monster and demon." Naruto grimaced.

Ino snapped out of her frozen state and asked, "Why!?"

Naruto stared at Ino. "You…you don't think I'm a monster?"

Ino blinked at Naruto. "Of course…I mean…you save the village!"

Naruto continued to stare at Ino. He felt his eyes water. He turned away and rubbed his eyes,

"Why are you crying Naruto?"

"Naruto has been hated all of his life. He's not used to someone accepting him. The only other people who accept him besides me are Iruka and your mother, Rin." Sarutobi answered for Naruto.

Ino looked at Naruto sadly. Naruto looked up and asked, "Why didn't anyone tell me? I've been going through my life with people shunning me and I didn't even know why!" Naruto yelled angrily.

Sarutobi sighed and answered, "It is forbidden for anyone to talk about the nine-tailed fox. I was planning on telling you…but you seemed to have found out by yourself. How?"

"Kyuubi told me."

Sarutobi gaped and managed to stutter, "Y-You can t-talk t-t-to the Ky-Kyuubi!?"

Naruto nodded calmly. Sarutobi regained his compositor and said, "Well…that's certainly a surprise."

Sarutobi continued. "So…you two go back to the academy today. I hope you do great." The Hokage smiled.

Naruto grinned. "Yeah! We'll be great! Won't we Ino?"

Ino smiled at him. "Yeah!"

"Well you two…go and take care."

"Hai!" The blonds said.

* * *

**AN: There! I told you I would make a long chapter! Please Review! **


	6. Chapter 6: Attack of the Man

**YAY!!!!! Here is the next chapter!**

* * *

"Blah." – Normal Talking

_'Blah' – Thoughts _

_Blah – Flashback _

'**Blah' – Kyuubi Talking**

"**Blah**" – Calling out Jutsu

* * *

Chapter 6 – Attack of the man 

Naruto and Ino were walking aimlessly around town, ignoring the glares they were given. Naruto finally spoke up.

"Hey, Ino. Do you want to get something to eat?"

Ino's stomach answered for her. She blushed while Naruto grinned.

"I'm guessing that's a yes." Ino only smiled bashfully and nodded.

Naruto and Ino headed to Ichiraku and sat down inside.

"Hey, old man! Two bowls of ramen please! One miso-pork and one…" Naruto trailed off.

"One chicken ramen." Ino said.

Teuchi nodded and went to work on the ramen. Naruto decided to start a conversation.

"So, Ino…what do you want to do after we eat?"

Ino thought for a while before answering, "Well…I want to keep training on that tree climbing technique. And we need to stop by our house. My mom is probably wondering where we are."

Naruto nodded and then looked up at Teuchi, who was holding two steaming bowls of ramen.

"Here you go kids!"

Naruto drooled and said, "Thanks, old man!"

"No problem, Naruto." Then Teuchi turned around to wash the dirty dishes.

Before Naruto started slurping down his ramen, Ino said, "Naruto, you only get one bowl. We really need to train. I want to be in tip-top shape for the academy!"

Naruto only nodded distractedly and began slurping down his ramen, hungrily. Ino shook her head at him and started eating her ramen. Naruto finished two minutes after and waited for Ino to finish.

Ino finished 5 minutes later and Naruto complained.

"Gosh, Ino! You take to long to eat!"

A vein popped up in Ino's forehead.

"It's not my fault I am more civilized when I eat! Besides, you spilled more ramen than you ate. And you have a monster appetite." Naruto pouted, childishly.

"Inooooo…" Ino rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand. Warmth spread through both of their bodies.

Ino dragged Naruto back to the Yamanaka household.

"Mom! Are you home!?" Ino called from the door.

Rin appeared from the backyard and smiled.

"There you two are! I was wondering when you were going to get back." Rin smirked to herself.

Ino nodded. "We trained for a while…then Hokage-sama wanted us. And then we had lunch at Ichiraku."

"Oh? What did the Hokage want?" Rin asked, curiously.

Naruto and Ino looked at each other and then turned back to Mrs. Yamanaka.

"He wanted to talked to us about Kyuubi."

Rin gaped. "S-So you know. Both of you."

Naruto and Ino nodded. Rin sighed.

"You were bound to find out sometime, Naruto. But Ino?"

"I trusted her, so I brought her along. Besides, the old man suggested it." Naruto said.

Rin gave them a questioning look. "So…?"

"So what?" Naruto asked, confused.

"So, what was your reaction?" Rin asked.

"Well…I already knew, so it wasn't that big a deal." Naruto answered.

"I was pretty shocked, but I accept Naruto for Naruto." Ino said while glancing at Naruto.

Rin saw the glance and grinned. "See, Naruto? There are some people who don't think of you as a demon." Naruto grinned.

"Yeah!"

Rin laughed and asked, "What are you two off to do now?"

"We're going to train some more! We need to be in shape for the academy!" Naruto shouted. Ino smiled.

"Well, you'd best be off then. Have fun you two." Rin smirked.

Naruto and Ino blushed, but nodded. They turned around and sprinted towards the training grounds.

Rin chuckled before closing the door.

* * *

Ino ran up the tree and got about 6 feet from the ground before slashing the tree and jumping off. She looked over at Naruto and noticed he was only a little higher than her. With great determination, Ino charged the tree again. She got up to 11 feet before falling off. She quickly lashed at the tree again and landed on her feet. She grinned to herself. 

Naruto was doing just as well as Ino. He ran up the tree and got up to 9 feet. He kept charging the tree and always got at least 3 feet higher. He finally stopped at 23 feet. He looked up and saw that he was more than 2/3s of the way to the top. He glanced at Ino and smiled when he saw her marks. She was much better at chakra control than him. She was 4 feet higher than him.

'_Hey, fox! Why is this so hard?'_ Naruto asked mentally.

'**You've got a lot of chakra to control, Kit. It should be hard. But you are doing better than I thought you would.'** Kyuubi answered.

Naruto, with new gained confidence, charged the tree once more and almost made it up to the top. He grabbed onto the branch and pulled himself up.

"Hey, Ino! Look at me!" Naruto shouted proudly from the top.

Ino looked up at Naruto and grinned.

"Great job, Naruto! Try running down the tree now!"

Naruto did what he was told and started running down the tree. He lost his footing a couple of times, but quickly corrected himself and continued down. When he reached the bottom, he saw Ino's impressed face.

"Wow, Naruto! That was great!" Ino complimented before running at the tree.

She had made it up to the top a lot easily than Naruto did.

"Ino! You're awesome! You're a lot better at chakra control than me!" Naruto called up to Ino.

Ino blushed and thanked the Gods that Naruto couldn't see. She started running down the tree and made it to the bottom without any faults. Ino glanced at Naruto's amazed face.

"Hey, Dobe. Blondie. What are you doing?" A new voice asked.

Naruto and Ino turned around to see Uchiha Sasuke standing there. Naruto glared at him.

"Training." Naruto said through clenched teeth.

Sasuke snorted. "Training? No amount of training will make you stronger, Naruto. Same goes for you, Blondie."

"I have a name you know!" Ino yelled with new contempt towards Sasuke.

'_What's going on!? I don't feel anything when I look at Sasuke!'_ Ino thought.

"You're such a jerk, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.

Sasuke glared. "Well it's true. You will never become a ninja. You're a dead last."

Naruto growled and launched himself at Sasuke, but Ino held him back.

"Don't do it, Naruto. He's not worth it." Ino said while glaring daggers at Sasuke.

Sasuke snorted. "Says the dumb blond."

This time Naruto had to hold back Ino.

"I'm going to kill you!!" Ino screamed at Sasuke, who seemed unfazed by this.

"You can't hurt me even if you tried." Sasuke barked.

Ino pushed Naruto away and ran at Sasuke. Ino went for a punch to Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke blocked her and kicked at her stomach. Ino dodged it and threw multiple kicks at Sasuke. Sasuke managed to block and dodged the attacks. Ino punched at Sasuke, but he poofed away and left behind a log. Ino looked around for Sasuke.

Sasuke appeared behind Ino with a kunai in his hand. He was about to through it, but Naruto caught his hand.

"Don't you _dare_ touch her!" Naruto growled and threw him back.

Alarmed, Sasuke did a couple hand signs and called out, "**Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!**"

Naruto narrowly dodged the attack and was left with a burnt back. Naruto yelled out a battle cry and charged at Sasuke. He punched him in the stomach and kicked him on his side, sending him spinning. Sasuke growled and leapt back up.

Sasuke was about to attack when Rin appeared in front of him.

"What's going on here!?" Rin asked, angrily.

Sasuke huffed and walked away. Naruto glared at his fading back.

"What happened?" Rin asked, more softly.

"Sasuke was being a jerk. He was mocking our abilities. He was asking for it." Ino said with disdain.

Naruto nodded, still glaring at Sasuke's retreating form. "He was about to stab Ino-chan with a kunai."

Ino blushed slightly at the added suffix, but then asked, "Naruto? Is your back okay?"

Naruto gave Ino a questioning look. "Why do you ask?"

"Sasuke burned your back, didn't he?" Ino said while glancing at Naruto's back.

Rin lifted Naruto's shirt. She gasped at the 3rd degree burns.

"Naruto! It looks terrible!"

Naruto blinked and said, "But I don't feel anything." Naruto thought for a while. "It must be Kyuubi. He's probably preventing the pain." Naruto shrugged. "I heal fast anyway."

Rin sighed. "Well then…I guess your fine."

Naruto grinned, but then frowned. "Man! My shirt is ruined!"

"Why don't you buy yourself some new clothes, Naruto?" Ino suggested.

Naruto looked down and shook his head. "I can't. Every store I go to throws me out."

Rin thought for a moment. "There's one store that might let you in. An old lady owns it. She knew the fourth Hokage, so she will probably accept you. It's a really great shop, too."

Naruto looked up and smiled. "Okay."

Rin told Naruto where to go and he headed off. He winded through alleys and streets until he found a small shop. He went in and saw an old lady sweeping the floor. She looked up.

"Hello. Welcome to my shop! My name is Mei." She said with a very soft voice.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto." Mei's eyes widened, but then her features softened considerably.

"Nice to meet you, Naruto-kun." Naruto smiled and nodded.

He looked through the large amount of clothes. He found a black vest with a red Kyuubi on the back. Naruto smiled slightly. He searched through the racks of clothing again and found a blood red shirt with an orange swirl in the middle.

'_Perfect! This place is great!'_ Naruto thought while grinning.

Naruto also found dark blue pants with lots of pockets. He went to the front desk to pay for the new clothes. Mei smiled at him.

"The vest can be pumped with chakra to make it heavier. I have something else I think you will like." Mei pulled out a pair of orange wrist warmers and a pair of orange ankle warmers. "These can also be pumped with chakra. It is very useful for Taijutsu training. Would you like it?"

Naruto nodded and asked for pair of purple wrist and ankle warmers. He paid for the rest of his clothes and headed out the shop. Naruto raced back home only to run into a very large person.

"_You!_" The person hissed.

Naruto looked up to see the man he had run into before he started living with the Yamanakas. The man was grinning evilly at him.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked.

"I want you to die!" The man yelled before grabbing Naruto by the color of his burnt shirt, causing Naruto to drop his bags.

The man punched Naruto hard in the face. Naruto yelped in pain and quickly punched the man. The man groaned in pain, but quickly slammed Naruto into the ground. He continuously kicked Naruto until Naruto finally caught his foot.

Naruto threw the man into an alley wall before picking up his bags and sprinting off towards home. Many people were staring at the bloodied boy, but he ignored the stares and kept running.

Naruto made it back to the Yamanaka household and sighed in relief. He opened the door and rushed inside. He saw Ino and Rin talking quietly to each other, but he ran past them.

"Naruto?" Ino called to him, but he kept running up the stairs.

Naruto opened the door to his room and slammed it shut. He threw his bags of clothing into his closet and looked at himself in the mirror.

He had dirt on his face and clothes. There was quite a bit of blood on the corner of his mouth. His shirt was slightly torn. Naruto sighed and put his face in his hands. He slid to the floor and rested his body against the wall. He heard someone knock on his door. He knew whom it was, but didn't make any move to open it.

"Naruto?" Ino's worried voice said from the other side of the door. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Naruto didn't answer and kept his eyes on the floor. The door opened and Naruto still didn't move.

"Naruto?" The room was dark, so Ino had way of seeing Naruto's attire.

Naruto winced as the lights flickered on. He kept his head down nonetheless. He heard Ino's footsteps moving toward him. Finally, Naruto looked up. Ino gasped.

"Naruto! What happened!?" Ino yelled as she looked over her crush.

Yes, she had admitted that she liked Naruto. All thanks to her mother.

**Flashback**

_Rin told Naruto where to go and he headed off. Rin turned to Ino and smirked._

"_What?" Ino asked._

"_What's with you and Naruto?" Rin asked, the smirk never leaving her face._

_Ino blushed a deep shade of scarlet and mumbled, "I don't know what you're talking about."_

_Rin's smirk got bigger. "Oh, yeah? I saw how you looked at him. You like him, don't you?"_

_If possible, Ino turned even redder. "I…I don't know what I feel."_

_Rin's smirk turned into a small smile. "Come on. Lets go back to the house. We can talk about it there." Ino was about to protest, but knew it was a lost cause and nodded._

_The mother and daughter walked back to the house in silence. When they had stepped into the house, Rin motioned Ino to sit down on the couch. Ino sat down and looked at her mom._

"_So…what do you like about Naruto?"_

_Ino blushed. "He's strong, smart, courageous, cute, handsome, a good friend, and I trust him. Plus, he trusted me enough to tell me about Kyuubi."_

_Rin nodded. "What do you feel when you're around him?"_

_Ino thought for a moment before answering, "I feel warm and safe. Like when we fell asleep next to each other in the woods, I had butterflies in my stomach. Then when he grabbed my hand, my whole body was filled with warmth. It was amazing!"_

_Rin's smirk came back to her face. "You like him…you like him __**a lot**__."_

_Ino blushed. "Really?" Then she smiled brightly. "Yeah. I guess I do."_

_Ino and Rin chatted a bit about Naruto before turning towards the door. They didn't have time to register who it was because the said person ran past them and up the stairs._

"_Naruto?" Ino called to him, but he kept running up the stairs._

_Ino gave Rin a worried look as they heard a door slam shut._

"_What happened?" Ino asked, worriedly._

"_Go up there and find out." Rin said._

_Ino nodded and headed up the stairs to Naruto's room. Ino knocked on the door._

"Naruto?" Ino asked, worriedly. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

There was no answer. Ino pushed open the door. The room was dark, so she couldn't see anything.

"Naruto?" Ino asked again.

She flipped on the light switch. She gasped when she saw Naruto huddled against the wall. His clothes were ripped and dirty. There was even a hint of blood on the corner of his shirt. Naruto looked up. His face was dirty and blood was streaked across his mouth.

"Naruto! What happened!?" Ino yelled loudly.

**End Flashback**

Naruto was looking at Ino's worried and slightly scared face. He looked away.

"Everyone hates me, Ino-chan. I-I don't k-know h-h-how much longer I can take it…"

Ino felt tears form in her eyes. She quickly hugged Naruto tightly. Naruto accepted it, gratefully. He was shaking slightly.

Holding him as close to her as she could she asked, "Naruto…What happened?"

Naruto shuddered a sigh and told her about the evil fat man. By the time he finished, Ino was sobbing. Alarmed, Naruto wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer.

"I-I'm so s-s-sorry, Naruto." Ino managed to say between sobs.

"Hey," Naruto started as he lifted Ino's chin. "It's not your fault. I wish I could change what happened…but I can't. I'll just have to cope…But…It would be a lot easier…if someone was there to help me through it."

Ino held onto Naruto tightly. "I want to help! How do I help!?"

"You being here is a good enough help for me." Naruto answered sweetly.

Tears were in Ino's eyes once more and she pulled Naruto down towards her. Their lips crashed into each other. Naruto was shocked, but found himself liking the kiss. Ino snacked her arms around Naruto's neck.

Naruto broke the kiss. "Wow." He said, breathlessly.

Ino giggled and brought his lips to hers again. Naruto didn't protest as he closed the gap. Ino licked away the blood that was still on his mouth. Naruto smiled against the kiss.

Naruto licked Ino's lips, asking for permission. Ino gladly parted her lips. Naruto shoved his tongue into her mouth, exploring every detail of her mouth.

They broke the kiss reluctantly. They rested their foreheads against each other. Naruto was grinning uncontrollably, while Ino was gazing dreamily at him.

Rather reluctantly, Naruto stood up.

"I've got to take a shower."

Ino nodded and stood up as well. She gave Naruto one final kiss before walking out the door. Naruto stared after her and smiled. He took his washed clothes and walked into the bathroom.

Naruto turned on the water after striping off his clothes and let the water wash all his troubles away. After a while, Naruto stepped out of the shower. He dried himself off and slipped on his fresh clothes. He hung up his wet towel and took a smaller towel to dry his hair off. Naruto walked out the bathroom with a towel around his neck.

Naruto looked at the clock. 6:15 PM. Naruto walked down the stairs to eat. Ino smiled up at his clean face. Naruto returned the smile and sat down next to her.

"What's for dinner?" Naruto asked, while taking Ino's hand under the table.

Rin noticed the sign of affection and smiled. "We're having Sushi."

Rin set the plates down on the table and Naruto ate happily. There was a knock on the front door. Naruto dropped Ino's hand and stood up.

"I'll get it!" Naruto walked over to the door.

Naruto opened the door with a smile on his face. "Can I help you?"

"Yes…" Came a freighting familiar voice. "I wasn't done with you."

Naruto froze. "W-What do you w-want from m-me!?" Naruto asked after he regained his compositor.

"I told you already. I want you to _die_!" The man pulled Naruto out the door.

"Arrgh!!" Naruto yelled, catching Ino and Rin's attention.

"Naruto? Who's at the door?" Ino asked.

She looked up from her plate and saw that he wasn't there. Fear overtook her body when she heard Naruto yell out in pain.

"Naruto!" Ino and Rin ran to the door.

They opened the door to see Naruto getting slammed against the ground. Naruto coughed up blood.

"Naruto! Get away from Naruto!" Ino screamed at the man.

The man stopped what he was doing and looked at Ino. He grinned.

"Well. Well…you are a pretty girl. I'm going to have some fun with you-." His sentence was cut short when he felt an elbow get shoved against his side.

The man smacked against the wall.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Naruto growled and charged at the man.

"**Shadow Clone Jutsu!**" Naruto shouted while forming the cross sign.

Four Narutos poofed into existence and they all charged. One Naruto punched him hard in the gut. Another Naruto kicked him high into the sky. Two Narutos sent the man multiple blows in midair. And the real Naruto sent the man hurtling towards the ground.

Naruto fell on all fours, the pain overtaking his body. His sides ached and he had a massive headache. He coughed out more blood.

"Naruto!" Ino screamed once she regained her voice.

"Ino-chan…" Naruto managed to get out before spitting out more blood.

"I'm getting the Hokage! Ino! Take care of Naruto!" With that said, Rin poofed away.

Ino ran over to Naruto and hugged him tightly.

"Don't ever do that again, baka! You scared me to death!" Ino's body shook with sobs.

"I'm sorry, Ino-chan." Naruto apologized.

Tears were streaming down her face. Naruto was shocked. Ino never cried. Sure, she sometimes sobbed, but there were never any tears. Ino had him in a death grip. She was shaking uncontrollably.

"Y-You c-c-c-could ha-have g-gotten yourself killed, b-baka!!" Ino cried.

Ino collapsed against Naruto's chest, bawling. Naruto pulled Ino onto his lap and slid over to the side of the house. He leaned against it for support and held Ino close to him. Ino was banging her fists against his chest, but he felt no pain.

"I don't know what I w-would have d-done if you l-l-lost!!" Ino clenched Naruto's shirt tightly.

Naruto leaned down and pressed his lips against Ino's forehead. Her crying eased away a little, but she kept her arms around him.

"Naruto…" Naruto looked down at Ino.

"Don't ever leave me." Ino said as she snuggled into his chest.

Naruto kissed her forehead again and held her closely.

"I won't. I promise."

Suddenly, a pop was heard and the Hokage and Rin appeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Naruto!" Sarutobi shouted and rushed over to him. "Are you okay?"

Naruto nodded and smiled. Sarutobi sighed in relief.

"We'd better take you to the hospital, just in case."

Naruto nodded and started to disentangle himself with Ino, but she kept a firm grip.

"Come on, Ino. You've got to let go." Naruto whispered into her ear.

Ino shook her head and buried her head into his chest. Naruto looked up at Sarutobi in confusion.

Sarutobi smiled and said, "She wants to stay with you, Naruto. It looks like she's a little scared of letting go of you. She can come with us."

Ino looked up from her sanctuary and gave Sarutobi a very thankful look before tightening her grip around Naruto.

Naruto wrapped one arm around Ino and used the other to push off the ground. They stood up and started to walk towards the hospital.

Naruto grunted in pain. His face scrunched up and he hissed. Ino gave him a very worried look. She put his arm around her shoulder and put an arm around his waist. Together, they walked to the hospital.

Naruto's entire right side was pulsing. He stopped abruptly and hissed out.

"I-I can't w-walk." Naruto clenched his eyes shut.

Sarutobi rushed to Naruto. "Ino. You need to let go of Naruto. Only for a minute, okay?"

Ino looked at Naruto and very reluctantly let go of him. Sarutobi smiled, but then frowned as he lifted Naruto's shirt.

"Good Lord, Naruto! What did he do to you!?" Naruto's right hip was drenched in blood. There was a huge gash just above his waist.

Naruto couldn't answer. He groaned in pain and leaned too far to the left. Luckily, Ino was there to keep him upright. Her eyes were watering.

"Naruto…" She wouldn't let go of him now. Even if the Hokage asked her. She kept her arms tightly around Naruto's chest.

Sarutobi looked sadly at Ino. "Ino…I'm sorry…but…you need to head home. Get some rest. You can visit Naruto in the hospital tomorrow."

Ino didn't even look up. She shook her head rapidly and tightened her grip again.

Naruto looked down at Ino and offered her a weak smile. "Ino…go home. You need the rest. Don't worry about me…I'll be okay."

Still, Ino shook her head.

"No! How can I rest when I know you're-you're like this!!" Ino's cheeks were wet again. "I-I'm scared, Naruto. I'm scared that if I let go of you…you-you'll-!"

"Hey. Hey." Naruto wrapped both arms around Ino, ignoring the pain. "Shhh…it's okay. I'll be all right. I promised you, remember? I won't ever leave you. Besides, Kyuubi won't let me die that easily."

"I know…but I still won't let go. I feel safe in your arms…knowing that you're still here…with me." Ino said as she shuffled closer to him.

Naruto kissed Ino lightly in her hair and looked at Sarutobi.

"Can she come? Maybe even stay for the night?" Naruto asked with pleading eyes. He couldn't stand the thought of Ino tossing and turning in her bed from a nightmare about him.

Sarutobi sighed and blew out a puff of smoke. "Alright. I can get sleeping arrangements for her to stay for tonight. But _only_ tonight."

Ino squealed. "Thank you, Hokage-sama!!" She snuggled further into Naruto's body heat.

"Is there some way to get to the hospital without walking?" Naruto asked as another wave of pain hit him.

"Yes." Sarutobi took both Naruto's and Ino's shoulder and then they disappeared.

They poofed into the hospital and Sarutobi immediately called for a medic.

"We need a room for Uzumaki Naruto!"

Sarutobi had to pry Ino off of Naruto before a stretcher came. Naruto was placed on the stretcher and taken to the surgery.

Rin pulled Ino into a hug.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Naruto will be fine."

"I know. It's just that…it hurts when he's not around." Ino placed a hand to her heart, tears starting to flow off her face again.

"Naruto-kun…"

* * *

Naruto had just gotten out of surgery and was quite lively. 

"Can't I leave now!? I don't want to stay! It's so boring here!" Naruto complained.

"I'm sorry, sir. You have to stay here overnight to check on your health." A medic said, clearly annoyed. "I will go get your visitors." She walked out of the room.

Naruto huffed and slumped further into the bed. But quickly gained his lively features when he heard Ino's voice.

"Naruto-kun!" The door slid open to reveal a very flustered Ino. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"Ino-chan!" Naruto greeted with a wide grin.

Ino's flustered features turned for the worst. Her lower lip was quivering and her eyes were looking wet. Ino threw yourself at Naruto and locked her arms around him.

Naruto grinned happily as he buried his face into her sweet smelling hair.

"Ino-chan…did you miss me?" Ino's headshot up.

"Of course I did! I missed you so much, Naruto-kun!" Her body started to rack with sobs. But this time, Naruto knew what to do.

Naruto lifted her head up and kissed her. A few stray tears left her eyes, but she stopped shaking. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled herself as close to him as possible.

"Ahem." Sarutobi's voice broke them apart.

The couple smiled at him.

"I hope you're feeling well, Naruto." Naruto grinned and nodded. "Well, we're bringing in another bed for Ino." Just as he said those words, Ino buried her face into Naruto's chest and said what sounded like a "No! You can't make me!"

"It doesn't look like she's moving, old man." Naruto grinned.

Sarutobi sighed and nodded. "I guess it's alright. But no funny business."

The couple blushed a bright pink and turned their heads away. Sarutobi chuckled and headed out the door.

Ino rested her head against Naruto's chest. She sighed in content.

"Good night, Ino-chan." Naruto said, his eyes drooping.

"G'night, Naruto-kun…" Ino said as she drifted off to sleep.

**AN: MAN! I started writing this at 7:00 PM and now I'm finished at 2:30 in the morning! It took long enough! Review Please! **


	7. Chapter 7: Academy

**I'm soooooo sorry!!!! I've had writer's block and schoolwork (etc.)!!! I kind of improvised on this chapter. Anyways…I'll try to write more often! Sorry its kind of short

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**

"Blah." – Normal Talking

'_Blah' – Thoughts _

_Blah – Flashback _

'**Blah' – Kyuubi Talking**

"**Blah**" – Calling out Jutsu

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Chapter 7 – Academy 

Ino awoke from a hand stroking her hair. She drowsily looked up and saw a smiling Naruto.

"Morning, Ino-chan!"

Ino smiled and slowly looked around the room, trying to register where she was. Suddenly, memories from last night flooded her mind. She whirled around to look at Naruto.

"Ino-chan? What's wrong?" Naruto was looking at a trembling Ino.

Tears started to slide down Ino's cheeks as she stared into space. A very surprised Naruto quickly pulled Ino into him.

"Ino-chan!"

Ino seemed to have snapped out of her trance because she looked up at Naruto. Her bottom lip was trembling.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Ino asked, slightly unsure he was really there.

Naruto looked directly into her eyes and nodded. The next thing he knew, he was wrapped up against Ino. She was sobbing lightly into his chest. Startled, Naruto put his arms around her.

"I-I'm sorry." Ino said as she pulled away to look at his face. "I j-just remembered what happened l-last night. It's scary to see it again." Ino's eyes seemed to glaze over as she stared at his right side.

Naruto caught her stare and lifted her chin.

"Hey…it's okay. I'm okay now. My right hip is completely healed. Probably because of Kyuubi…" Naruto trailed off, but then smiled gently as he pecked her on the lips.

Ino's features brightened as she remembered the highlight of her life. She and Naruto were together. Noticing Ino's sudden happiness, Naruto pulled her into a deep kiss. Ino's eyes drifted shut and she kissed back.

Their moment was broken by a knock on the door. The couple broke apart and looked towards the door. A middle-aged man walked through the door. He had jet-black hair with blue highlights on the tips and wore a dark blue Jonin vest with dark green sweatpants. His dark blue headband was tied around his head, but was draped over his eyes.

"Naruto, Ino, you're going to be late for the start of school." The mysterious man said.

Naruto blinked at the man before asking, "How do you know our names?"

"Hokage-sama told me." The man said simply.

Ino gave him an interrogating stare. "Who are you? I've never seen your face here in Konoha."

The man only shook his head and turned to leave. Naruto growled.

"Hey! She asked you a question!"

The man looked back. A smile appeared on his face and he said, "You will know more about me very soon."

With that said, he disappeared without a trace. Naruto and Ino stared at the spot where the man once stood. Naruto scratched the back of his head.

"What do you think he means?"

Ino shook her head and sighed. "I have no clue. I'm not Sakura."

Something in Naruto's brain twitched. He had forgotten about Sakura. What happened? Didn't he like her? No…Sakura was never nice to him…Even when he saved her life all those years ago.

**Flashback**

_A 6-year-old, pink haired girl was sitting on a lone bench crying her eyes out in front of three laughing bullies. The tallest one laughed._

_"Ha! Cry all you want kid, but crying isn't going to shrink that forehead of yours."_

_Sakura cried harder. The roundest one declared, "Yeah! How do you expect to make friends with that huge forehead of yours pushing them away?"_

_Sakura sunk deeper into the bench. The darkest one stalked up closer and whispered, "You know…we can help you with your forehead problem…"_

_Sakura looked up instantly. "Y-Y-You c-c-can?"_

_The dark one chuckled and said, "Sure…let us pound your forehead and maybe it will get smaller! Don't worry though, the pain will stop soon!"_

_The dark boy threw Sakura to the ground and started kicking her in the stomach. The other two laughed darkly and entered the "game". Sakura cried out and begged them to stop, but to no avail._

_"Hey! Let her go!"_

_The three looked up to see who their enemy was, but Sakura looked up to see who her hero was. A small blonde boy with whisker marks on his cheeks stepped forward out of the shadows. The bullies laughed._

_"Ohhh…what's a demon like you going to do about it?" The tall one asked sarcastically._

_Naruto growled and threw himself at them. He summoned all of his strength and punched the dark boy in the face. The boy howled in pain and called for back up._

_"Get him!"_

_Naruto smirked and got into his battle stance. Turning his body so his left shoulder was facing his opponent. Naruto brought his right arm close to his body and closed his right fist. He raised his left arm parallel to his chest and used his index and middle finger to signal them to come. Thinking they were being mocked, the three attacked._

_Naruto, with great skill, jumped high into the hair and seemed to stay accent for a while before crashing his foot into the tallest one's chest. Sakura gasped at the strength and power the strange boy was revealing._

_Naruto smirked in victory as the dark one fell to the ground. Sakura blinked. She didn't even see Naruto attack him! Sakura blushed as Naruto approached her. He bent down eye level to her._

_"You okay?"_

_Sakura blushed a deep shade of red and was very thankful that it was dark out._

_"Y-Yeah. Thanks."_

_Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his head. "No problem!"_

_"What's your name?"_

_Naruto blushed before saying, "My name is Nar-."_

_He stopped and broke apart when he heard footsteps._

_"Hey! I think I see her!" One man shouted._

_"Whose that with her?" Another asked._

_Naruto cursed under his breathe and started backing away. Sakura looked at him in question._

_"Where are you going?"_

_Naruto shook his head and said, "I'm sorry."_

_Naruto ran. Sakura was left there with her hand stretched out to him._

_"Wait!"_

**End Flashback**

"Hey, Naruto! Naruto! Hey! Snap out of it!" Ino shouted in his ear.

Naruto shook his head and blinked. Then he grinned and scratched the back of his neck.

"Sorry, Ino-chan."

Ino nodded. "It's alright. It's kind of creepy when you stare off into space like that…unblinking."

Naruto chuckled. "I'd sure love to see that."

Ino shook her head. "Trust me, you don't."

Naruto laughed. "Fine."

"Come on, Naruto-kun. We'd better get over to the academy before Iruka-sensei yells our ears off." Ino said.

Naruto immediately jumped up from his bed. "Oh, yeah! I don't want another lecture! Let's go!"

Naruto leaped off the bed and hopped out the window. Ino sighed.

'Why can't he just take the stairs?' Ino giggled to herself and sped off after her new boyfriend.

* * *

"Naruto, I'm glad you were able to get to class on time today. Hello Ino." Iruka greeted them.

Naruto only huffed and sat in his original seat in the back of the class. Ino took her seat next to Sakura. Naruto and Ino discussed their relationship on the way to class.

**Flashback**

_"Ino-chan, do you think we should announce our relationship?" Naruto asked as Ino caught up to him._

_Ino shook her head. "No…I think it's best to keep our relationship a secret…after what I've seen these past few days, I think we'd both agree that we'd be much safer."_

_Naruto nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I'll only kiss you when we're alone." Naruto said and wiggled his eyebrows in expression._

_Ino blushed and giggled at his childishness._

**End Flashback**

Ino snapped out of her thoughts when Iruka started his boring lecture. Ino sighed and shifted her gaze towards the board behind him. She never liked his lectures. Iruka could at least try to make ninja life fun.

Ino rested her head against the cool desk and closed her eyes. She was about to drift to sleep when she felt a shove against her shoulder. Sakura was staring at her.

Ino looked at her in question with one eyebrow raised.

"What?" Ino asked rudely.

Sakura seemed unfazed by this and asked, "Why did you enter with Naruto? Did you walk here together?"

Ino had already planned the answer. "Kind of. I saw him walking here when I left the shop, so we walked together."

Sakura nodded and drifted back to gazing at Sasuke. Ino shook her head. She never did like Sasuke.

_'Why did I ever pretend to like him?'_

An image of a small boy with a head of blonde hair flashed in her mind. Ino blinked twice before asking herself:

_'Who was that? It kind of looked like Naruto-kun…'_

Being the girl she was, she quickly brushed it off and turned back to the boring lecture.

Ino sighed. "This is gonna be a long day…"

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**I thank all of my readers that still want to read my story after this long wait. I promise you that the next chapter will be up soon. Please Review!!!**


	8. Chapter 8: I'll Never Leave You

**Yes!! New chapter!! Woot!**

**I don't own Naruto.

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**

The doors flew open as Naruto and Ino stepped out. Naruto scratched the back of his head and sighed.

"Is it just me or has Iruka-sensei's lectures gotten more boring?" Ino chuckled and nodded.

"Don't worry. I almost fell asleep if it wasn't for Forehead."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Sakura?"

Ino nodded. "Yeah. She wanted to ask me something…"

"And…?" Naruto edged on.

Ino shrugged. "Its no big deal. She only wanted to know why we arrived at school together."

Naruto rubbed his chin in thought. "Why would she want to know?"

Ino stopped walking and turned to him. Naruto looked at Ino in question. Her head was bowed and darkened so he couldn't see her face. From the way she was trembling, Naruto could tell she was debating something.

Ino finally looked up. No expression graced her features. "Sakura…you should know something about her…she…she never liked Sasuke either…"

Naruto looked away and shook his head. "No. She did. I have the bruises to prove it."

Ino laughed dryly. "You say that…but I did the same thing."

Naruto faced her again. "Are you saying…?"

Ino nodded with a forced smile. "Yeah…she's always been interested in you, Naruto. But like me, she had a weird way of showing it."

Naruto took her hand. Ino looked up at him with tearful eyes. "You're going to leave me now aren't you? I know you've always liked her…so…so…"

Ino looked away and shook heavily. "Just go to her! I-I know how much you've wanted this…and now…and now you have a chance!"

Naruto pulled her to him and crushed her in his grip. Ino tried to pull away, but his warm aura drained away her energy. Naruto pulled away slightly and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Ino-chan…I would never leave you for anyone. I won't ever leave you, I promise." Naruto said softly into her ear.

Ino cried out softly and buried her face in his chest. Startled, Naruto was taken back. He stared at her before wrapping his arms around her back. Ino's sobbing echoed through his ears, but he could hear a faint voice.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun."

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**Fluffiness!! This was a NaruIno moment!! Sorry it was short! I'll try to make it longer next time. Please Review!**


	9. Chapter 9: Contemplations

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Naruto. **

**Thank you all for your reviews!! You have inspired me to continue on with my story sooner than I expected! Enjoy!

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**

Naruto twisted in his bed. He stared at the ceiling; hoping sleep would come to him. He groaned and sat up. The troubled cerulean blue-eyed boy stood up and opened the window.

The cold breeze ruffled his spikey blonde hair. Naruto sat on the window ledge and stared out at the full moon.

Naruto sighed. He glanced at the clock.

1 o'clock a.m.

He shut his eyes and leaned back and instantly, his eyes snapped open once again. Every time he closed his eyes, the image of Ino crying popped up. It pained him to know that his Ino was crying because of him.

Naruto gazed back out the window, recalling the moment after school.

**Flashback**

"_Thank you, Naruto-kun."_

_Naruto hugged Ino tighter and cupped her chin with his index and middle finger._

"_Please stop crying, Ino-chan." Naruto looked deeply into her eyes._

_Ino wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's neck and rested her forehead against his. The tears still continued to flow down her flushed cheeks. Naruto reached his hand up to wipe them away, but Ino caught his hand._

"_Please…these tears are for you." Ino whispered as she closed the gap between them._

_Naruto didn't deny Ino's touch as he ran a hand through her blonde locks. He ran his tongue over hr tear-stained lips and kissed them away._

_Naruto broke the kiss reluctantly, knowing Rin would be worried about them if they waited any longer._

_Ino whimpered from the loss of warmth and buried her nose in the crook of his neck. Naruto couldn't help but chuckle from the warm breath tickling his neck._

_His head snapped up, finally realizing the cold stares. He nudged Ino, who looked up and gasped. One unfriendly looked villager stalked up to them._

"_So…you're the demon's bitch." At that comment, Naruto growled and pushed Ino behind him._

_The man scowled. "Oh, how sweet. You're protecting your whore."_

_Naruto felt a great urge to punch this guy all the way to Suna. However, he soften when he felt a tug on his sleeve._

"_Naruto-kun, please, just forget about him. Let's just go home." He heard Ino's pleading tone and reluctantly gave in._

_Naruto took her hand and forced his way past the man blocking their way. In the distance, he heard the man's voice spat, "Yeah! Go back home to your burrow!" __**Sorry about that burrow comment. I have no idea where foxes live.**_

_Naruto stopped in his tracks. Ino pleaded him to keep walking, but he ignored her and spun around._

"_What did you say!?" Naruto asked venomously._

'_**You get him, Kit!'**__ Kyuubi's voice boomed._

_Naruto was about to do the Kyuubi's bidding and knock some sense into that guy if it wasn't for Ino's tight grip on his collar. He was dragged through the dirt by a very tense Ino._

"_Ino-chan…!" Naruto whined. Ino glared her idiotic boyfriend._

"_Naruto, you're going to get yourself killed if you keep picking fights. You almost got killed last time…" Ino trailed off as she turned back to walking._

_Naruto stayed silent, knowing Ino was still upset about that night._

_They arrived at the house and greet Rin as if nothing happened._

"_So, how was school?" Rin asked at the dinner table._

_Naruto glanced at Ino, hoping she would give him a sign, but she didn't meet his gaze. He sighed and said:_

"_It was okay. Umm…dinner was great, Rin. Thank you. I'm going to bed." With that said, Naruto left the table and climbed the stairs, forgetting about his lonely plate._

**End Flashback**

Naruto brought one leg to his chest and rested his arm limply against it. There were two things bothering him:

1. The way Ino cried when she thought he was going to dump her for Sakura.

2. The fact she won't talk to him.

The first one bothered him more overall. Did Ino not trust him? Didn't she know he was loyal only to her? Or was she just madly in love with him?

Naruto shook his head, regretting ever thought of the latter. He knew Ino wouldn't stay with him for too long. One day she will just find someone better. Maybe the Uchiha will change his personality and she was go running to him.

Naruto rubbed his temples and stood back up. He closed his window and climbed back into his bed.

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A blind man leapt off the Hokage tower. He could still hear the council's laughter as they told him his mission. He had to assassinate Inoichi Yamanaka.

The man sighed, knowing that Naruto Uzumaki and Ino Yamanaka would hold a grudge on him.

'_Why me? Why did the council choose me? Is this another challenge?'_

Ever since he lost his eyes, the council has been giving him more jobs that include killing his friend's family members. The council wanted him gone and was hoping losing his important people would break him, but he wasn't about to quit.

If he had eyes, you would have seen them narrowing. But instead, you see his stiff frown turn deeper.

---------------------------------------

Sleep took pity on Naruto but, sadly, fate didn't. Only minutes later, a door slam shut. Naruto's eyes flew open and he automatically leapt out of bed. He sprinted out the door and ran down the stairs. The person he saw wasn't someone he wanted to see again in his life. The Hokage said this man would be back many weeks from now, but it looked like he was home early.

Naruto tried to find a place to hide, but Inoichi's eyes already landed on him. Naruto cowered in fear as he saw Mr. Yamanaka's eyebrows furrow and his eyes glared with rage. He knew he wasn't going to be staying any longer in this household when he saw Inoichi's gloved hand reached for his kunai.

"Inoichi!" Naruto had never been so thankful to hear Rin's voice.

Rin rushed down the stairs to get where Naruto was. Almost immediately after she touched him, Inoichi launched at them. He shoved Rin onto the sofa and grabbed Naruto by the collar.

In a deadly whisper, Inoichi spat. "Don't you dare touch my wife."

Naruto ducked under a punch. "But, sir, _she_ touched _me_!"

Inoichi growled and threw a kunai. Naruto narrowly dodged it. "Don't talk back, _fox_!"

Naruto's eyes went wide. That was the exact same line Inoichi said before.

**Flashback**

_A cloaked Naruto moved his way towards the swing sets. He was surprised to see a little girl and her family there. No one ever went over to the swing set because everyone claimed it was "infested" with demon's evil._

_But what scared him the most was the way the older man looked his at him. The last thing he remembered was the flash of rage behind those eyes before the blonde man disappeared._

_Naruto sprinted towards a tree, but he didn't make it in time. He looked up to see Inoichi Yamanaka's eyes glowering down on him._

"_M-Mister?" Naruto asked with a small voice._

_The man scowled and kicked him, hard._

"_Inoichi? What are you doing?" Naruto heard a friendly woman's voice ask._

"_Yeah, daddy. Who's that boy with the funny whiskers?" The blonde girl with deep blue asked._

"_W-Who are you?" Naruto asked up at the trio._

_Inoichi growled and kneed him hard in the stomach. "Don't talk back, fox!"_

**End Flashback**

Naruto dodged another kick sent his way and used the terrain to his advantage. When he was cornered against the wall, he would leap up and push against the wall with his feet to head-butt Inoichi back.

Seconds seemed to go by when a small voice was heard.

"Daddy?" Naruto froze, leaving himself wide open.

Inoichi punched Naruto right into the wall behind him and grabbed him back his neck. Inoichi smirked.

"Not so tough now are you, fox?" Naruto coughed and tried to break free, but his hold was too tight and he felt his energy drain.

"Naruto!" Ino cried out. "Dad! What are you doing!? Leave him alone!"

Rin came back to her senses and rushed to her daughter's side.

"Inoichi stop this! Leave Naruto alone! He is not Kyuubi!" Rin yelled at her husband.

Seeing he was outnumbered, Inoichi dropped Naruto, who fell to the floor in a coughing fit. Immediately, thanks to Rin's help, Ino rushed to Naruto's side and held him close to her.

Rin shoved Inoichi against the wall and threatened him. "Inoichi! Everything you did today will be reported to the Hokage-!"

Right then, a trespasser poofed into the room. The jet-black haired man with blue highlights fake smiled and said:

"Sorry to intrude, but Hokage-sama wishes to see Inoichi immediately."

Rin gave the blind stranger her soon-to-be-not-husband and gave him one last smack in the head before turning her back. Inoichi spat out curses, but was soon knocked out. The Jonin grinned and thanked the family and Naruto for their support.

With a poof, the man and traitor disappeared. Naruto couldn't help but let out a sigh in relief. He glanced at Ino, who hadn't looked at her father but was checking Naruto securely. To say Naruto was surprised would be an understatement; he was shocked. He expected Ino to have been sobbing with her mother, who also hadn't shown any signs of caring, and leave him to rot.

"Are you okay, Naruto-kun?" Ino asked, her eyes boring into him.

"Y-Yeah." Naruto stuttered, not expecting so much care in Ino's eyes. He quickly straightened up and answered again. "Yeah, thanks."

Naruto finally found the distance ness in Ino and Rin's eyes. He could tell they weren't really there. He stood up quickly, startling Ino.

Naruto smiled softly. "I can tell you guys need a moment to yourself. I need to go somewhere anyhow."

Ino and Rin gave him a thankful nod. Naruto grinned and left.

---------------------------------------

Naruto wondered the streets. He loved the nighttime, mostly because nobody's out at this time of day. He spun around to look at the Yamanaka household, but shook his head. He knew he was going to be staying out late; they needed their time alone.

Naruto took that time to train and talk to Kyuubi.

'_Hey, Kyuubi! Who was that blind guy before? I saw him in the hospital…but he isn't a common Jonin face.'_

'**I don't know, but his chakra level is incredible. No doubt his blindness has given him advantages in other senses.'**

Naruto contemplated on it for while.

'_But, why was he there in the first place? It was as if he was planning to come, just looking for the right opportunity.'_

'**You're right. You should look out for him, Kit.'**

Naruto nodded mentally and continued towards the training grounds.

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**Again, thanx for all the reviews!! I made a long chapter this time! I'll try to update soon!**

**Review Please!**


	10. Chapter 10: Apologies and Conformation

**Yosh! I'm back in business!**

**Sorry if this chapter isn't the best. I'm really out of shape with my writing. I'm in my political essay-writing pattern right now.**

**After this chapter I'm going to D.C. for school, so I defiantly won't be able to update by then. I'm trying really hard to update my stories…I guess I'm not trying hard enough.**

**I do not own Naruto.

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**

Naruto laid there on the dirt floor in a daydream. Kyuubi had given him a personal training session and now his whole body was aching. Naruto was in turmoil as he recalled the earlier incident.

'_How can I go back there? I just caused Inoichi to get kicked out of his own home.' _Naruto ran a hand through his spiky hair. _'I really am a monster...'_

**'You shouldn't be so down, Kit. It isn't healthy. Stop dwelling on this so much, everything will settle down soon.'** Naruto couldn't help but grin at Kyuubi's ever growing softness.

'_That was almost comforting, fox. Now I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.'_ Kyuubi growled from within his cage.

**'Shut up, Kit.'**

Naruto grinned his foxy grin and laid back against the tree trunk. Naruto felt his eyes get heavy and he sat up straight. There was no way he was going to fall asleep in a forest. Naruto stood up and slowly walked back to the Yamanaka household with a wobble.

**'Watch it, Kit. You're pushing yourself too hard. You haven't even begun to feel the after effects of your training.'**

'_Stupid, fox. You're the one that made me do all that crap!'_

Kyuubi fell silent and Naruto smirked. Naruto reached his shelter and turned the doorknob. He quietly opened the door and winced as it squeaked. He looked around at the empty room and quickly resolved that they were already asleep. Naruto crept up the stairs and reached his room. To say he was surprised would be an understatement. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Ino sleeping on his bed.

Naruto glanced around. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He took off his sandals and walked towards her. He nudged her and whispered:

"Ino, wake up. You're in the wrong bed."

Silence.

Naruto sighed and paced his room, trying to think of a solution. The only ideas he had were to throw her off, dump cold water on her, or kiss her. Considering her father just attacked him and she was probably hurt, he shook his head at the first two. But, Naruto didn't want to kiss Ino either. She was upset about the attack of the man incident and he wasn't sure if she forgave him or not.

Naruto gave up and was about to leave the room when a tired voice spoke out.

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto turned around slowly, as if caught doing a deadly act. He stared at Ino while she rubbed her eyes.

"Where are you going?" Ino asked after blinking away her sleepiness.

"I-I was just going to train some more." Naruto stuttered.

Ino frowned. "Why? Didn't you just come back?"

Naruto gulped. "W-well, yeah. B-but I've got nothing better to do…and I didn't want to wake you."

Ino stared and apologized. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I was planning on talking to you, but I guess I fell asleep…what time is it?"

Naruto glanced at the clock. "It's around 1'oclock."

Ino blinked several times before her gaze hardened. "You've been training all night?! You could've hurt yourself! What could you have possibly been doing?"

"Kyuubi was training me." Naruto answered simply.

Ino looked down. "Oh, sorry…I didn't mean to snap."

The room fell silent and uncomfortable. Naruto felt like he had to ask. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Ino glanced up at his face before looking away dejectedly. "I wanted to apologize for ignoring you…it was wrong of me. I-I'm just worried about you a lot and-and I can't help but feel responsible for what happened earlier…" Ino trailed off when she felt tears sting her eyes, but she kept going. "I-if I hadn't been so rude and selfish, I could have told you!"

Naruto stared at her. "Told me what?"

Ino clenched the sheets in her hands, her hair falling over her face as she stared at the patterns on the blankets. "Told you that I got a letter. A letter from my father, telling me that he was coming home sooner than expected. If I had remembered, then-then we could have told Hokage-sama and my father wouldn't have found you! It's all my fault! You wouldn't have gotten hurt and-!"

Ino was caught off by a fierce kiss. Naruto pulled away and looked her right in the eye. "Don't you dare think this was your fault. It wasn't and you know it. If anyone should be blamed, it would be me. I shouldn't have let down my guard like that. I know now that I have to be alert at all times and I can't show any weaknesses."

This time, Ino grabbed hold of his collar and tugged him closer. "No! Don't become like Sasuke!"

Naruto stared at her, realizing he did just sound like Sasuke.

"Don't turn into a paranoid freak! You can't do that to yourself…you can't do that to _me_! If you do that, you'll break your ties with everyone and you won't have anyone to lean back on. Don't become that person…please." Ino was trembling as her pale blue eyes bore into deep cerulean eyes.

Naruto looked away and stepped back from her. He turned his back. "Okay, I won't…but I do have to leave. I can't live here and I can't keep putting you and Rin in danger. I'm sorry."

Naruto began to walk out and Ino's mind was racing. _'Move body move! I have to stop him! Please! I can't lose him!'_

The next thing she knew, her arms were wrapped around Naruto from behind with her face buried between his shoulder blades. She heard her self whispering:

"Please don't go…don't leave me alone…besides, you promised. You never go back on your word, right?" Ino asked hopefully.

Naruto felt himself grinning. He turned around with a fox-like grin on his face. "Of course dattebayo!" He settled down and put a warm smile on his face, he sighed. "A promise is a promise…I guess I have to stay." He pretended to be disappointed. Ino laughed and smacked him across his head.

Ino whipped her eyes and smiled. Naruto softened immediately and caught her lips in his. Surprised, Ino closed her eyes and locked her arms around his neck. Naruto placed his hands on her waist and brought her closer. Naruto rubbed her back gently and softly as Ino ran a hand through his golden blonde hair.

They broke apart for much needed air and gazed at each other. Naruto scratched the back of his head and grinned.

"So does this mean we're official? We never made this clear."

Ino giggled and nodded as she slipped her hands around her boyfriend's torso. Naruto rested his chin on top her head, inhaling the sweet smell of her shampoo.

'_mmm…flowers…'_ Naruto thought happily.

Ino noticed Naruto's slight fatigue as he wobbled a little bit when they let go. "Come on, let's go to bed." Naruto only nodded and followed Ino back to his bed.

Too tired to comprehend what they were doing, Naruto crawled into bed with Ino. Ino wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. Naruto put an arm around her in a protective manner and buried his face in her hair.

"Good night, Ino-chan." Naruto said as sleep took over him.

Naruto snored softly as Ino ran a hand over his cute whiskers. Ino placed a kiss on his lips one last time before gazing at his face as she drifted to sleep.

"G'night, Naruto-kun."

Both blondes fell asleep with a peaceful and content smile on their faces. Meanwhile, Rin smirked at the two 'love birds' and she went back to her bedroom.

_'I'm going to use this as blackmail one day.'_

* * *

**Yosh! Chapter 'tis done!**

**Review Please!**

**Ja ne!**


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